What started as a home-recorded solo project for Alabama native Katie Crutchfield, Waxahatchee moved to Philadelphia and gradually expanded in terms of sound and assertiveness, a trend continued on LP number four, Out in the Storm. Contributing factors to its more muscular disposition include the fact that it was recorded in a studio and was co-produced by John Agnello (Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., Kurt Vile), who encouraged Crutchfield and her band to capture much of it live as a group. That band also happens to include her sister and Merge labelmate Allison Crutchfield, Sleater-Kinney touring guitarist Katie Harkin, former P.S. Eliot bandmate Katherine Simonetti on bass, and Pinkwash's Ashley Arnwine on drums. Last but not least, the album also finds Crutchfield reflecting on a breakup that's provided fodder for prior releases, but here she's looking at it in the rearview mirror. The tone is that of "good riddance," but not without having been through some stuff. It opens with the churning guitars, feedback, and meaty hooks of "Never Been Wrong," which regrets putting energy into the art of arguing with an expert manipulator. Later, on the fuzz-reinforced "No Question," she refers to "An invisible race/We'll be in it 'til one of us dies." "Brass Beam" has a wearier Crutchfield singing "I don't want to fight/I just want to sing my songs and sleep through the night." She slows things down on tracks like "Recite Remorse," where organ tones are accompanied by more ornamental, atmospheric guitar. The more intimate "A Little More" and "Fade" rely on acoustic guitar, so it's not all rowdy, but it is all raw. She doesn't code her stories here -- there are references to diving into the Coosa River and a car trip to Brooklyn. With Crutchfield as forthright as ever and collaborators suited to drive home her position, Out in the Storm hits with as much strength as emotion. ~ Marcy Donelson

Professional Reviews

Rolling Stone - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "It starts off the sharpest set of songs Crutchfield has come up with, from the big-drinking, scene-causing country of '8 Ball' to the Nineties guitar churn of 'Silver' to the ruggedly pretty ballad 'Sparks Fly.' Each song is as grueling as it is thrilling."

Spin - "For the first time, the apprehension and bit-lip bravery that gave Waxahatchee's earlier albums their introvert charm is matched by fortitude and self-confidence."

Magnet - "Though beefy and rock-focused, it's a sound that's malleable enough to veer from dense to atmospheric to delicate pretty much on a whim. The result is Waxahatchee's most focused and confident statement so far."

Paste (magazine) - "[I]t reveals Crutchfield as a scientific element in her own right -- explosive, volatile and uncontrollable."

Pitchfork (Website) - "Katie Crutchfield's fourth album features sharp, gorgeous songwriting. The polished production and urgent performances ensure her exorcisms about the end of a relationship are deeply felt."

Clash (Magazine) - "There's still moments of fragility that populate the record, but for the most part it's a brazen and self-assured release, and it's all the better for it."